Process and machine for shaping and pressing hats.



W. F. GHINIQUY @L W. 0. WINCH.

PROCESS AND MACHINE FOB. SHAPING AND PRESSING HATS.

APPLICATION FILED 1111.11.16, 1914.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

. NITED STATES PATENT ernten.,

'WILLIAM F. GIIINIQUY AND WILLIAM O. WINCH, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Linares'. Y

PRCESS AND MACHINE FOR.l SHAPING- AND PRESSING HATS.

Specification of Letters lfatent. Patented Aug. 25, 1914;.I

Application med Imran 1e, i914. serial No. 924,899.

To all whom it may concern v f Be i known that we, WILLIAM F. CHINI- I our and WILLIAM O. W1NcH,'citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes and Machines for Shaping and Pressin Hats, 4of which the following is a speci cation. v

@ur invention relates to a machine or apparatus for pressing and :forming hats constructed of straw and other-woven braid iti 4'eeive the sized hat shape and press the All 4s le or of telt and similar brous material that has previously been treated with sizing or other shape retaining. substance ln the manufacture of straw yor similar hats it is usually the practice t stitch or sew the braid in a spiral manner so that one convolution thereof will overlap the preceding convolution until the proper quantity has been built up Ito form a shape cl the desired proportions. After the braid has been stitched together, it -is customary to treat or size the same with glue or simi' lar duid so that when the rough shape has been pressed over the form and dried it will retain its/shape, for an indefinite lengthv ot' time.

lt is the object of our invention to construct an apparatus that is adapted to rer ecient as well as economical in its operation.

iid

llhese and other objects we accomplish by the meansand in the manner hereinafter inlly described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being ad to the accompanying drawings, `which .is a vertical transverse section taken centrally through our improved machine for pressingoand lorming hats.

ln connection with the following description it is desired to here state that for convenience the machine has-been described in connection with hats termed from braided 'ff straw and thelike, and-while We show and describe specic elements for carrying out 'the objects of'our invention, it, of course,

is obvious that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be made 'thereto without departing from the spirit of our invention. -All such changes and modifications. we desire it understood are included w1th1n the scope of our invention as set forth 1n the appended claims, and we' also desire it understood that hats made from felt,y beaver or the like as well as strawbraid, may also benpressed and formed by our apparatus. I

Referring to the drawing, l, 1,-represents suitable' upri ht standards or posts that are preferably o a height suiicient to support the apparatus in a convenient horizontal position for the Workman. Mounted upon and supported by the upper ends of these posts is a horizontally disposed frame 2 of substantially circular or ring shape. 4Removably placed upon this frame 2 is a suitable hollow or double bowl or similar vessel, 3,

that is provided with a lateral shoulder 3 adapted to rest on the circular yiframe. `Said bowl preferably comprises a lower compartment 4 that Vdips a considerable distance below the horizontal plane of the' circular frame and the side walls, 5, of which incline upwardly from the bottom and then outwardly and then vertically in substantially v the manner shown in the drawing to ornn an ogee curve for .the upper rim 6 thereof.

From this upper rim the wall slopes downwardly at an angle ofsubstantially fortyive degrees (45) and then turns in a horizontal plane to form a substantially Vfunnel shaped receptacle having a bottom 7 and inclined sides 8; This construction provides a closed compartment to which heat in the form of steam, hot air or the like, is adapt- `ed to be admitted through an inlet pipe 9 controlled by a valve l0, which heat, after circulating in said compartment, is discharged therefrom through elxhaust pipe 1l.l A suitable annulus'or gasket l2 is adapted to be placed in the upper receptacle in suchrnanner that the to thereof` will be'rlevel with and in approximately the same horirental plane as 'the upper edgeor rim of said receptacle and said annulus has its outer tace beveled or ,doweled as shown in order to make a substantiall tight fit and conform to 'the shape of the a jacent surlace of the receptacle. A portion of 'the inner vertical wall ol said annulus is eut away as shown to form a shoulder 12a upon which a hat-form 13 of the dimensions and style it is desired to shape the hat is adapted to be seated. This hat form 13 is preferably made of strong material and is provided with a plurality of radial passages or channels 14 that extend through said form and communicate with'the interior of the upper receptacle. The annulus 1:2 and the hat form 13 are adapted to fit into the open portion of the receptacle 4so tightly that the same will be substantially air-tight excepting at the passages 14 above mentioned, and whenthe latterare closed as will hereinafter be described, the air in said receptacle is exhausted therefrom by means of a suction pipe 15 tapped into the bottom of said receptacle and passing axially through the lower heat compartment to a suitable exhaust pump (not shown). In order to tightly close the passages in the hat-form 13 we prefer to place the sized straw hat blank 16 in the hat-form and then cover the same, together with the exposed portions of the form and the annulus with ,an elastic rubber sheet 17.

In operation the hat-blank having been placed in proper position and covered with the rubber sheet, the heat is admitted to compartment t and at the same time the suction pump is started. As the air exhausts from the upper receptacle and the .vacuum therein becomes greater the elasticity of the rubber permits the sheet to be drawn down tightly and firmly against the inside or upper surface of the hat form and blank which will cause considerable pressure to be exerted upon the latter and this being performed while the same is heated will press the braid of which the hat is made into the desired shape as will be understood. At the same time the rubber sheet will cling or be drawn tightly against the various parts of the apparatus where there would be any liability of destroying the vacuum which it is desired to maintain.

Having described our invention what we claim is 1. A machine for shaping and pressing hats comprising a double-walled vessel, means for introducing heating fluid between ing fluid between the walls thereof, a perforate hat form mounted above the upper wall of said vessel and spaced therefrom, an impervious tissue adapted to cover said vessel and hat form, and means for exhausting air from between said hat form and said vessel during the circulation of said heating fluid.

3. A machine for shaping and pressing hats comprising a double-walled vessel, means for introducing heating fluid between the walls of said vessel to produce a superheated condition within the same, a gasket fitting said vessel, a perforate hat form seated on said gasket, and means for exhausting air from said vessel during the superheated condition of the latter.

4. A machine for shaping and pressing hats comprising a double-walled vessel, means for causing the circulation of a heating fluid between the walls thereof, a gasket fitting said vessel, a perforate hat form mounted on said gasket, an impervious tissue adapted to cover said vessel, hat form and gasket, and means for exhausting air from said vessel during the circulation of said heating fluid.

5. A process for shaping and pressing hats comprising the placing of a hat blank upon a perforated form disposed upon a super heated vessel, the covering of said hat form and vessel with an impervious tissue, and the exhausting of air from said vessel while said superheated condition is maintained therein.

ln testimony whereof we afx our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLAM F. CHNl-QUY. WILLIAM O. WINCH.

Witnesses:

E. K. LUNDY, BENJ. T. RooDHoUsE. 

